CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Tonight was the first meeting of the Carolina Beach Plastic Bag Committee. The group was put in place by the town council to research the plastic bag problem in the area.

Committee Chairman Ethan Crouch says that they are really looking to educate the community about the problems these single use plastic bags create for the environment and marine mammals.

Crouch says these bags typically only have a 20 minute lifespan for consumer use, but they remain in the environment for a very long time and are the cause of death for about 100,000 marine mammals every year.